Art of Rally

I love rally games, but I have to admit that they are a tough sell to casual racing fans. For as much fun as watching a rally race on TV can be, it’s hard to make a game like this feel accessible towards newcomers, given the sport’s fast-paced and dangerous nature. Both Dirt and WRC have constantly tried to implement new features in order to make casuals less intimidated with their brutal gameplay, but they are still far from being considering “pick up and play” experiences. There’s...

Art of Rally is an unbridled joy, its Career Mode and free roam options, in particular, providing hours of rally driving nirvana in an appealing package that celebrates a glorious, golden era of off-road motorsport.

Art of Rally is one of the most unique rally games ever made, and it’s all the better for it. It defies your expectations by being a pretty serious game at its heart, despite being fun and light-hearted on its exterior. And yet while it is challenging, it’s also relaxing at times, with its mix of minimalistic visuals, disarming music and lower-stress rally action almost putting you into a trance when everything aligns. Whether you’re a fan of rallying or just like racing games in general, Art of Rally deserves your attention.

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Art of Rally is that rarest of things: the video game as essay.

Art of Rally doesn’t make it self as accessible as its art style might initially suggest; its silly opening moments and free-roam mode full of floating doodads hide a hardcore rally racing sim beneath. If you don’t have a love for the feel of driving it may not be for you, but racing enthusiasts should definitely check this out.

art of rally is an effortless, stylish love letter to rallying. With dozens of classic rally cars, expansive rally stages, and a gorgeous graphical style, art of rally barely puts a foot wrong in recreating the rally experience in play-set form. It is a peaceful, meditative glide through decades of rally history.

Let me start with a big, sweeping statement: art of rally is one of the prettiest racing games I’ve ever seen. Considering racing games in general tend to go with a more realistic art-style like Gran Turismo or Forza, it’s always refreshing to see a different take on what a racing game looks like. Rally games in particular tend to focus on that realism; taking serious corners, listening to pace notes through the headset to know what turns are coming next and seeing the dirt hit the wheels...